The Official Pocket Doppler 2011 MLB Playoff Predictions

We cover a lot of Packers & football here at PocketDoppler.com, but we also post & talk about the Brewers and baseball quite a bit as well. So I gathered together all the Pocket Doppler ‘Baseball People’ and got their picks & thoughts as to how the MLB Playoffs, from Divisional to World Series, would pan out.

NLDS

NLCS

ALDS

ALCS

World Series

Chris

Brewers

Cardinals

Cardinals

Yankees

Rangers

Yankees

Yankees

BrewTownBoozer

Brewers

Phillies

Phillies

Yankees

Rays

Rays

Phillies

Paige

Brewers

Phillies

Phillies

Tigers

Rays

Tigers

Tigers

Wally

Brewers

Cardinals

Brewers

Tigers

Rays

Rays

Brewers

BigSnakeMan

Brewers

Phillies

Phillies

Yankees

Rays

Yankees

Phillies

Brian

Brewers

Phillies

Brewers

Tigers

Rays

Tigers

Brewers

Chris – I hate the St. Louis Cardinals. Well, more exactly, I hate what the Cards have become under the tenure of Tony LaRussa: smug, sanctimonious, chippy, arrogant and, ultimately, unlikable. I didn’t want them to make the post-season because, well, I just don’t like them. I also didn’t want them to make the post-season because I think they have the Brewers number, beating them five of six times late in the season when the games mattered most. Even if the Crew can use the advantages of Miller Park to their favor as they did for much of the season and beat the D-Backs (no small feat, but one I think MKE can manage) I can’t see them getting by STL. The Cards have been hot for a month, taking three of four from PHL in the during the stretch drive, so I think they can win that series to set up the Brewers painful exit.

In the AL, I think the Yankees have even more arrogance than the Cardinals (perhaps due to their being built with the fattest wallet in baseball) and I think that will carry them not only through the AL but to another World Season title. To me it simply has to be this way: The two teams I despise the most simply must face off in The Fall Classic–it is my fate. Angels and orphans will weep, but someplace where all that is wrong with baseball is celebrated (say, the executive conference room at ESPN), George Steinbrenner will be toasted and the rest of America must fight back nausea. But even that might be better than seeing the St. Louis Cardinals prevail.

BrewTownBoozer – The Phillies have the best rotation and Pence gives them a needed offensive boost. I picked them before the season and I see nothing that makes me think they won’t win the National League. In the AL, the Yankees did not bring in Mariano Rivera to close out the Rays on Wed night. Karma dictates that they will pay for that in a Rivera blown save in game 7 against the Rays.

The World Series is a case of Philadelphia being a vastly superior team. The Brewers could very well win the World Series and are as talented as any team in the postseason. Ultimately, I prefer the postseason success and experience the Phillies possess over the length of a gut wrenching seven game series.

Paige – As much as I’d like to play the “homer” card I have to go with the Tigers to win it all. Detroit has won 30 of its last 39. They exude savvy, their manager is one of the best in the game, and I really like Verlander and Fister to throw well in the playoffs. I think the Tigers toughest test will be starting on the road versus the Yankees. However, Detroit did win four of its seven games versus the pinstripers this season.

Wally – Unlike Paige, I will be playing the homer card in the NL, but also think that the Brewers have the talent on this team to actually take it all the way. The Cardinals are hot right now and I can see them giving the Phillies a first round out & there’s no way in hell I’m ever going to consciously pick the Cardinals over the Brewers. Seriously, the Cardinals could have Babe Ruth, Ted Williams & The Jolly Green Giant along with Pujols in the line-up & as long as Tony LaRussa was managing I would still pick the other team just out of spite.

In the AL, the Rays are on a streak & I think the Tigers have just enough to beat the Yankees…although not enough to keep up with the Rays. See the first part of this for an explanation for my World Series pick.

BigSnakeMan – NL: My pick of the Brewers in the first round is actually more of a hope than an expectation; with Zach Grienke having to pitch the season finale, I don’t like the way the rotation sets up for the Crew. Plus, the D-backs scare me a little. I’m also concerned that Milwaukee’s flaws with defense and situational hitting will haunt them in the playoffs. But I’ll go with Milwaukee figuring that AZ might be in ‘happy to be there’ mode and counting that the home field advantage will be enough to carry the Brewers through the divisional round. In a perfect world, it would be nice to see a hot Cardinals team soften up Philadelphia before they meet the Brewers in the NLCS. But the Phillies have assembled the finest starting pitching rotation since the Baltimore Orioles of the early ’70s; I don’t foresee anyone (not even the Yankees) keeping them from winning another World Series title.

AL: The Detroit Tigers have Justin Verlander; the New York Yankees have CC Sabathia. Verlander is scheduled to start two games on the road so we’ll call that a split. The Yankees’ home field and hitting will take care of the rest. In the other series, the Devil, er, Tampa Rays have been in survival mode for the last month and I believe their pitching and defense will propel them past the Rangers. After that, New York will have a little too much for Tampa to spring another wild-card surprise.

Brian – The most experienced team isn’t always the best. The Brewers’ young core to go with some veteran leadership (Grandpa Counsell) will be bursting with energy and confidence throughout playoffs. NL hosting the World Series in the deal-breaker.

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